Shattered
by FelicityHuffmanFan
Summary: OC Fic. Addison and Derek's world is shattered when their daughter shows up at Seattle Grace after getting severely beaten in an alley way.
1. It Was Supposed to Be a Normal Day

Chapter 1: It Was Supposed To Be A Normal Day

Anyone that lived in Seattle, Washington knew where to go when they had any sort of medical crisis…Seattle Grace Hospital. It was known for its skilled and diverse surgical team and top of the line medical care. Chief of Surgery Richard Weber did his best to keep a constant changing practice under control. Neurosurgeon Derrick Shepherd, Cardiologist Preston Burke, Neonatal Specialist Addison Montgomery and Orthopedic Surgeon Callie Torres are amongst the team that makes up the skilled surgical floor.

Doctors are always told to expect the unexpected. No two days working on the surgical floor are the same. Little did everyone know that the events that would partake on this particular day would change the lives of four people in their very own hospital forever.

It was rainy that morning as it was most mornings in the depths of one of the wettest cities in the US. The interns at Seattle Grace Hospital were busy doing their morning rounds and the majority of the attendings were in surgery. It wasn't until Chief Resident Miranda Bailey came flying through the door, that the blood of the hospital began to pump.

"Alright I've got a 23 year old girl they found in an alley coming into the pit right now. Who's going down?" All of the interns hastily raised their hands anxious for a chance to handle some real trauma. "O'Malley, Grey and Yang come with me. Stevens and Karev finish up the rounds". George, Meredith and Christina triumphantly followed Bailey into the elevator and headed down to the ER.

"They found her in an alley?" Meredith asked turning to Christina with a curious look on her face.

"Someone got a hold of her and beat the hell out of her" Bailey added. "I don't know what kind of world we are living in" she said. The elevator doors opened and they arrived just as the ambulance did, they all stood back as they got a first glimpse at their patient. A young man jumped off the back of the ambulance with a clip board as they unloaded the girl. "Female 23 years old, we found her lying in an alley this morning. She is really banged up. We gave her morphine for the pain her right leg looks broken, left arm is broken but amazingly everything else is intact."

George O'Malley couldn't do anything but look the girl over as they pushed the gurney down the hallway. He could barely see her face it was covered in so much blood. "What do we do when we get her upstairs?" Bailey asked.

"Check vitals, make sure she's stable, x-rays, catscans and call " Christina chimed in. Anyone who knew Christina was well aware that she was always the one to have the first answers.

"Then what O'Malley?" Bailey asked. George's legs were moving but he couldn't get his mouth to do the same. "Then what O'Malley! Snap out of it" she yelled.

"Look at her bracelet" he said silently.

"What?" Yang yelled.

"Look at her god damn bracelet" George screamed. Bailey leaned over and caught sight of the small golden charm bracelet covered in blood. The squinted and caught sight of the small charms: a golden baby, a small scalpel and a golden heart.

Bailey and George stared at each other as they entered the elevator and the doors closed. "Yang when we get off this elevator I need you to page Dr. Shepherd, Dr. Montgomery, and immediately"

"Why? What's going on?" Christina asked.

"I have seen that bracelet before" Meredith said nervously.

"This is Ava Shepherd" Bailey said. "This is Derek and Addison's daughter".


	2. Memories

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who review my first chapter. You guys have no idea how much I appreciate it. I have a few chapters already written but not sure where the story is going to go in a large sense. Also I am sorry about the chapters being so short, I just tend to get super busy and figured that if the chapters were shorter I would be able to update much quicker. I am open to criticism too and ideas so if anyone has anything they want to see changed or contribute feel free to message me. Other than that, please keep reading. There is a lot more to come, and you guys are the best!**

All of the interns suddenly fell into a moment of shock but were quickly jolted back to reality when the elevator doors opened. "Get her hooked up to the monitor Grey and get her vitals". Meredith worked quickly, she started to wrap a blood pressure cuff around her arm before she realized it was too bruised to do so.

George couldn't think, the only think he could do was step forward and grab her hand.

George remembered the first time he ever saw Ava Shepherd. He was done with his shift his very first year at Seattle Grace and was walking outside when he caught sight of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen teary eyed in the waiting area. Her long red hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail and large curls fell across her face. He wouldn't have even known she was upset had she not happened to look up and see the tears rolling down her face. He walked up to her and sat next to her. "Are you okay?" he asked genuinely concerned. The young girl ran her fingers under her eyes and looked up at him with the most beautiful green eyes he'd ever seen.

"Yes I am thank you. I must look like a mess sitting here wallowing in my own tears".

"No your fine, believe it or not we get a lot of that here" George said smiling. "Do you have family in this hospital?"

"Who are you?" she asked wiping the hair out of her face.

"Oh I am sorry, George O'Malley I am a doctor here". She sat up a little straighter in her chair.

"Ahh the heart in the elevator guy"

"How do you know about that?" he asked stunned".

"I'm Ava … Ava Shepherd".

George looked genuinely surprised. "You're Doctor Shepherd's daughter?"

"Yes…Guilty" she said smiling and wiping another tear from her eye. "My mother and I just moved here from New York".

"I didn't know he had a daughter". Ava looked at George and another tear fell.

"Yeah I don't imagine he talks about me much. When you live across the country, it's kind of easy to get ignored. ".

George scooted closer, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you".

"It's okay, it's not you, it's them. I don't know why my mother even decided to move back here. All they do is fight when they're together" she stopped suddenly and looked up at him. "I am so sorry I shouldn't have said that, you all work together. When my mouth gets started it doesn't stop"

Don't worry I won't say a word" Ava smiled up at George and he smiled back. "Do you want to get a drink?" Ava just stared at him for a moment. "I mean unless you are waiting on your parents, there is just this bar around the corner…"

"I would love to" Ava responded and that's how it all started. They quickly became friends spending all of their spare time together. Ava would come and visit him at the hospital and he would come over and hang out with her after he got off of work. They both didn't know what they would do without each other.

George's sweet memories of his friend quickly faded when the unthinkable happened, Ava…flat lined.


	3. Please Remember

_**A/N: Thank you thank you to: Mony19, ..love and Wishing For A Love Like This for your chapter 2 reviews, you guys are amazing. And Addeklover, rocketdogs AiLing, anniiie and alterus for the chapter 1 reviews. Those are what keep me going and excited to write so keep it up! I have to work tomorrow and then school so I knew I wouldn't get a chance to post so I figured I would send this out this evening. This was kind of hard one write because, hell I am a Literature major I know NOTHING about medicine, so I did my best :). Hope you like it thus far and hope you all have a beautiful Monday if there is such a thing. – Kate**_

Chapter 3: Please Remember

"Get a crash cart in here we've got a code blue" Bailey yelled. "O'Malley I know this is your friend but if you're not going to help I need you to get out of the way" George unwillingly let go of her hand and stepped back.

"Charge to 300" Bailey screamed and placed the paddles on Ava's chest, saying a silent prayer before hitting the set of buttons that caused her whole body to surge.

At that moment Derek Shepherd came around the corner. "I'm in the middle of surgery this better be important…." Once he walked into the room it took him two seconds to realize who was on the table. "No, No No!" he screamed, running over to the side of the bed.

"Move" he yelled nearly knocking Christina Yang out of the way as he took over chest compressions. "What happened?"Derek asked as he pushed harder and harder on her chest in an attempt to get her heart restarted.

"Get Back Dr. Shepherd" Bailey yelled. "Charge it to 350". Bailey placed the paddles on her chest and hit them once more. She didn't move….the consistent buzzing of the heart monitor was deafening and Derek thought his head was going to explode.

George couldn't take it anymore and he turned around and propped his hands on the window as tears streamed down his cheek. "Charge to 400" Derek screamed. Nobody moved knowing they had done all they could.

"Charge the damn thing to 400!" Derek screamed. Bailey looked at Meredith and nodded as she pressed the paddles to her chest once more. "Listen to me Ava" Derek said. "I love you….I love you and I am not going to lose you again so come on, Wake Up!"

Bailey hit the buttons and Ava's body convulsed once more causing her to take in a huge breath before her body hit the bed. Everyone let out a sigh of relief when the monitor started back up and a small groan escaped her lips.

"Ava sweetie look at me" he asked, pulling the small flashlight out of his pocket. She slowly opened her eyes and looked right at him. Derek smiled thankful she was still alive and immediately began to examine her. "Ava can you hear me?"

She didn't say a word but slightly nodded her head. "I want you to squeeze my fingers sweetie, can you do that?" Ava nodded. Derek put two of his fingers together and held them in front of her. She lifted her shaking hands slightly and grabbed hold of his two fingers softly then moved them further down so she could grab hold of his hand.

Derek smiled at her as a tear rolled down his cheek. "Do you know where you are?" he asked shining light into each of her eyes then brushing a piece of hair out of her face.

"Se…Seattle Grace" she said straining to talk.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked her. "Daddy" she said as tears than began to fall down from her swollen eyes towards her ears.

"Yeah, that's right, that's good. I think you're going to be okay" he said running the backs of his hands down her cheeks.

"What happened to her?" he asked looking at Bailey angrily.

"Someone came after her this morning that's all we got from the ambulance driver. With all due respect Dr. Shepherd, if you're finished I need you to get out of the way so we can finish, we need to get in here to check out her leg".

"Ava tell me who did this to you, I need to know so you need to remember".

Bailey walked over and grabbed him by the arm. "Dr. Shepherd".

"What did he look like?" Derek asked in a desperate plea to channel his anger.

Doctor Bailey looked at him in disbelief. " I am giving you one more chance to get out of this hospital room or else I am going to have you escorted out" she said forcefully. She had never seen him look quite so angry before, she knew if she didn't get him out now it would only get worse.

"I am not leaving, this is my daughter" he said slapping his chest angrily.

"Derek get out this hospital room before I have to call security. You've looked her over, she is covered in blood and she needs more medical attention." he heard a voice say from the door. They all looked up to see Richard Weber standing in the doorway.

"Richard" Derek asked pleading.

"Out" Richard responded.

He leaned down and kissed his daughter before stepping out of the hospital room throwing his scrub cap to the ground.

"George" Ava said softly, barely audible, turning her hand up so she could grab his. "My mother" she asked pleadingly.

Doctor Bailey nodded and George took off full force down the hallway nearly knocking Callie over in the process.


	4. Beautiful On The Inside

**A/N: Thank you so much to lorelai21, alterus, Mony19, Addeklover and deslil for their Chapter 3 reviews as well as everyone else who has done so . You guys are amazing and your reviews are what keep me going. Hope a little bit more of the past was revealed here and I promise there is more to come. Keep reading! .**

Chapter 4: Beautiful On The Inside

George couldn't think as he darted down the hallway and through a set of double doors. He had just watched his best friend flat line and thank God come back. Lost in thought he passed up OR 2 and nearly fell as he tried to turn himself around. He took a deep breath before bursting into the OR without even a mask. "Doctor Montgomery" George said as he squeezed through the barely open sliding doors.

"Dr. O'Malley I am well aware that I have been beckoned but I am in the middle of a very important surgery and I would prefer if I were able to finish it" Addison said taking half a second to glace over at him through her mask.

"I understand Dr. Montgomery but you really need to get downstairs, it's Ava".

Addison continued working without missing a beat. "Like I said I am in the middle of surgery, tell her I will be there as soon as I am finished".

George paused for a moment and then looked up to see Preston Burke scrubbing in. He tightened his scrub cap before walking into Addison's operating room. "Addison, Derek is waiting downstairs for you outside room 213 I think it would be to your benefit to go down and speak with him".

Addison just looked at them dumbfounded but took her mask off "Does someone want to fill me in before I leave a body open on my operating table?" George and Preston just looked at each other.

"Ava uh…." George said avoiding eye contact. "Someone beat her up pretty badly on the way to school this morning, she flat lined but she is stable now. She…." Addison didn't wait for a response before she ripped her mask from around her neck and ran straight towards the stairs.

Derek sat in the hallway with his head in his hands. "Derek calm down" Richard began to say.

"Richard you weren't there" he said looking up at him with teary eyes. "She was gone; I swear I thought I lost her. What if that was it?" Richard squatted down to his level.

"It wasn't though, she is alive. You should know better than anyone that miracles happen. Have faith Derek, we are going to take care of her".

"Do you know she came and saw me after I moved here?" Richard put his hand on Derek's shoulder to steadyhimself and got down on the floor and sat next to him. "After I caught Addison and Mark together, I was so angry. I just wanted out of there".

Derek wiped a string of sweat off his forehead. "She showed up on my doorstep one day and begged me to let her move in with me. I think Addison hurt her just as bad as she did me". Derek looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "I told her no, I told her I didn't want her there". Derek looked over at Richard. "Every time I looked at Ava I saw Addison, and I couldn't do it. I was that selfish". They both stayed silent for a moment. "I felt like I had lost her. I actually did for about a year. She didn't speak to me until she moved back here and even now I don't think she has forgiven me or her mother".

"It's not important" Richard said casually. "What matters is she is here now, and you have time and the chance to make it up to her". Derek shook his head just as Addison came barreling down the hallway.

"Where is she?" she asked in a panicked voice, breathing heavily from the shock and the run down there.

"She is in there with Doctor Bailey" Richard said standing up.

Addison headed straight for the door but walked out of the room and stopped her. Derek quickly jumped off the floor.

"She is asking for you" Bailey said gesturing towards Addison. Addison moved forward but Doctor Bailey softly put a hand on her shoulder. "We are going to take her down for a CT and then Callie is going to work on her knee. We are not sure of the extent of the damage but we will figure it out after we run some tests," Doctor Bailey said with a lump in her throat. She delivered bad news everyday but she never liked to give it to the people she was closest to.

The little bit of composure that Addison did have was slowly breaking. She took a step back before letting the words slip from her mouth. "Did you…" she started to say but couldn't get it out.

"Was she um…" It took a moment for Bailey to understand what she was trying to ask but when she did Bailey put her hands around Addison's.

"No, she wasn't raped. She was very lucky".

"That's not exactly what I would refer to as lucky; did you get a look at her?" Derek said the anger resurfacing. Richard put his arm on Derek's shoulder and motioned for him to walk down the hallway and Derek followed mumbling under his breath the whole way.

"Does anyone know what happened?" Addison asked nervously turning back towards the room.

"No, not yet. We know someone attacked her this morning. It looks like they went after her with something solid because she has a couple of cracked ribs and her wrist is broken and so is her leg. She was in so much pain we had to give her something so she is pretty out of it. We couldn't get the whole story out of her just yet. I am so sorry Dr. Montgomery. Just give them a minute to clean her up and then you can go in and see her." Bailey said before giving her a quick pat on the shoulder.

"I am not waiting I am going in now" Addison said moving towards the door.

Doctor Bailey stood firmly in an attempt to protect her friend, "I don't think that is a good idea. Just wait until they are finished and you can go see her".

"She is my daughter I am going in" Addison said charging past Bailey and stopping by the door when she saw Ava lying in the hospital bed.

When you're a mother you see all kind of things when it comes to your children. Especially when they are young, they obtain countless numbers of bruises, scars, cuts and scrapes. Nothing could have prepared Addison for what she saw on the other side of the door.

The first thing Addison noticed was Meredith Grey. She worked quickly but softly as she finished wrapping what appeared to be sutures on Ava's arm. Once Meredith was finished she headed out of the room and motioned for Christina to do the same. Bailey shook her head as she let the door fall closed.

"I need to get her cleaned and casted before we do anything else. She needs x-rays as well. I told Bailey…" Callie said but was quickly cut off by Addison.

"I'll do it" Addison said.

"I can do, it's no big deal. Dr. Bailey mentioned the police were waiting downstairs, I figured you would want to talk to them. I will clean her up that way you can find out what's going on".

Addison looked up at Callie, "I should do it, I can do it" she said nervously and aggressively.

Callie nodded, "I'll be back in just a minute to take her down".

Addison slowly walked around to the side of the bed and sat down. Her own child was barely recognizable to her. The purple and black rings around her eyes had already started to set. The bed was covered in blood and the stitched cut down her arm was at least a foot long. She pushed a piece of Ava's hair out of her face and traced the scars across her cheek and the bruises on her arms. A small tear fell from the corner of her eye.

"Don't cry momma" she heard a scratchy quiet voice say. Addison grabbed Ava's hand and set her forehead on the top of it. Ava let out a small wince as she reached over ran her fingers along a piece of Addison's hair.

Addison looked back up; mustering all of the energy she had, and forced a smile. "How are you feeling?" she asked stupidly, already knowing the answer.

"I have been better" she said grabbing hold of one of her mother's hand.

"Do you remember what happened?" Addison asked, cutting to the chase and hoping to finally get an answer.

Ava closed her eyes and the moment she did every horrible memory came back to her, hitting her like a ton of bricks. She saw his face, she felt the baseball bat crash up against her side and she felt the cold concrete on her skin.

She didn't even realize she had started crying until she focused enough to hear her mother trying to console her and felt her cold hands run down her face and over her forehead.

Once Addison got Ava to stop crying she walked over to the sink and grabbed a basin of water and a wash cloth. She turned around and Ava had already fallen asleep from the strength of the pain killers. She began to lift Ava up out of the bed and realized she couldn't do it without hurting her. Addison peeked out of the room and the only person outside of the door was George. He was sitting on the floor up against the wall with his head in his hands.

"George?" Addison asked. He looked up with fear stricken eyes. "Can you help me?"

George and Addison quietly walked back into the room as if they were trying to keep from waking a baby. "Get on that side of the bed" Addison said as she pointed. George did just as he was told still unsure of what was going on. When he saw Addison walk over with a sponge he stepped back away from the bed. "It's alright; we just have to get her cleaned up".

Ava opened her eyes and looked up at them both, "Can you sit up baby?" Addison asked Ava and she slightly nodded.

"Go slow". Ava eased herself up and faced George. She looked right at him and smiled, she was almost unrecognizable but he could see her perfectly.

"Hold onto her George" George quickly moved closer to the bed and Ava placed her arms on George's shoulders. Addison opened the back of her hospital gown and put her hand over her mouth to keep from throwing up. She could easily handle sewing limbs back together, numerous amounts of blood and birthing babies but she didn't think she could handle her own child's bloody back. It was bruised so bad it almost looked black. George leaned forward to catch a glimpse of it but caught the pain in Addison's eyes and decided that was enough. Addison dipped a sponge in the water and ran it over Ava's back which caused her to flinch. "I'm sorry". Addison said quickly pulling it away.

"It's okay keep going" Ava said.

"I bet this isn't what you had in mind when you pictured me naked huh?" Ava asked jokingly breaking George's focused stare.

"You are a sick woman Ava Shepherd, I am not answering that question," he replied causing them both to smile.

The mental relief didn't last long when Addison hit another sore spot. Ava pulled George closer to her and wrapped her arms around his neck laying her forehead on his shoulder as a shot of pain ran through her back.


	5. It Happened One Day

**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's, Addison and unfortunately I don't own Derek. A lot of the dialogue in this chapter was taken from an actual Grey's episode, I did not write it, I just thought the scene was too awesome not to include in the story.**

**A/N: As always thank you for the awesome reviews on the last chapter Addeklover, AiLing, Mony19 and mArTiNaMcBrIdEOx91. I appreciate it so much! I love this chapter for a lot of reasons because A) a certain sexy someone finally makes an appearance B) everyone loves a little backstory and C) for anyone who has seen this scene during the show knows that Kate Walsh and Patrick Dempsey rocked it. They are both some amazingly talented people. I am going home for Thanksgiving on Wednesday so if I don't post before then I hope everyone has a beautiful and safe holiday.**

Chapter 5: It Happened One Day

"So you have him in custody correct?" Derek asked getting angrier by the second. When Alex Karev found him sitting alone in an on call room and informed him the police were here, he immediately headed for the waiting room anxious to find out what the hell was going on.

"Not quite sir, after he allegedly attacked your daughter, he ran out into traffic and got hit by a car".

"Allegedly, are you serious?" Derek said scoffing. "What hospital did they take him to?" he asked knowing good and well he wouldn't get a straight answer.

"As you know, they never take victims and suspects to the same hospital and I can't give you that information". Derek looked around the room before catching Mark Sloan out of the corner of his eye. He turned around just in time to watch him come around the corner and throw open the glass doors to the waiting room.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Mark not right now" Derek said looking at the police and then back at him.

"I had to walk into a hospital room and find my niece bruised from head to toe before anybody tells me?"

Derek looked back towards the cops. "We will keep you updated sir, as soon as he has recovered we are taking him in" the police officer said closing an open file he had in his hand.

"Thank you" Derek said, nodded towards the police officer and turned back to Mark.

"This is ridiculous; ever since Addison and I got together you have just booted me out of your whole family. You won't let me talk to your sisters, I didn't come to Thanksgiving last year…but this Derek…you could have at least told me she was here" Mark said throwing his hands in the air. Derek acted like he hadn't heard a word.

"Derek what are you doing?" Mark asked following him towards the nurses' station.

"Olivia" Derek said causing a strawberry blonde to turn around. "I need you to call around to Mercy West as well as Seattle Presbyterian. I am looking for someone that would have been brought in the last hour or so after being hit by a car. I just need his name".

Olivia nodded and Derek walked back towards his daughter's room.

"What the hell are you doing Derek? Leave it to the police" Mark said trailing behind him. Derek didn't say a word he just kept walking. "Listen, I am as pissed as you are and there is nothing more that I want do than rip this guy's throat out but this isn't the way to go. I have seen that look before, it's a lot of anger and a lot of rage and you're going to do something stupid".

Mark put his hand on Derek's shoulder to try and slow him down but Derek knocked it off before throwing open a set of double doors.

Addison and George got Ava all cleaned up and Callie came by and put a cast on her leg, on her wrist, and wrapped her ribs. After she cleared the CT scan by some miracle and her father stopped checking her for neurological problems every minute. She was finally set up in a room and allowed to sleep. As she fell in and out of consciousness she heard her mother, her father and her Uncle come in and out of her room, periodically one of them would speak to her or touch her arm.

After sleeping for almost twenty straight hours Ava awoke to the beeping of a heart monitor and her mother's cold hands on hers. Addison was fast asleep in a nearby chair with her head lying on Ava's bed. Ava slowly lifted her arm and placed her hand on Addison's head causing her to jump. "Hey" she said.

Addison forced a cracked smile and sat up. "Hi sweetie" she said pulling her chair closer to the bed. "How do you feel?" Addison asked already knowing the answer wouldn't be a positive one.

"I'm okay, just sore. It feels like there are weights tied to every single part of my body".

"Let me go get you something for the pain, it will take some of that edge off and hopefully make you feel better. Before Addison could go Ava latched onto her hand.

"Wait" she said attempting to push herself up with her one good hand.

"Mom, I am so sorry".

Addison sat back down in the chair with a confused look on her face. "Sorry for what?"

"For how I have treated you since dad left".

Addison just shook her head. "That's not important right now; we can talk about it later, when your better".

Please just let me get it out…I just want you to know that you didn't deserve it" she said shaking her head. "I put you through hell when I should have been there for you".

"Ava, you had every right in the world to be angry with me"

"You made a mistake, people make mistakes. I should have seen how unhappy you were before then, but I didn't. I was too involved in what I was doing and I let you down".

Addison took in a deep breath. "Ava you have never let me down. There isn't anyone in the whole world I am more proud of. You're strong willed, emotional and so passionate. You reacted to the situation, and I deserved it, I really messed up". Though only a few years old, the memory of that night had been permanently etched into both of their minds.

_Ava had been in the lab at school all evening and sighed as she pulled up to the house utterly exhausted. She wasn't supposed to be home from the dorms until tomorrow but she finished up early and figured she would head home and surprise her mother despite being so tired. She couldn't help but smile when she caught sight of her father's car pulling in behind hers._

"_Hey kiddo" he said jumping out of his car and grabbing his brief case._

"_Hey Dad" she replied wrapping her arm around his waist as he met her in the driveway. "I didn't think I'd get to see you tonight"._

"_Yeah well, the hospital was over staffed and I didn't have surgeries scheduled so I figured I would take advantage of something that only happened once in a lifetime"._

_Ava smiled and Derek kissed her forehead, happy to have her home for the weekend. A bolt of lightning cracked in the distance unleashing a downpour. Derek attempted to cover Ava's head with his brief case as they both ran towards the porch._

"_See what you did? Came home and brought the weather with you" Derek said jokingly before throwing open the door and walking inside._

_Another flash of lighting illuminated the foyer and they realized that all of the lights were off. "Mom?" Ava yelled but only silence filled the house._

"_I'll go see if she is in bed already" Derek said and Ava dropped her bags near the stair case and headed into the kitchen. She stopped for a moment and realized something felt different though she couldn't put her finger on it. She grabbed a glass of water and walked back towards the front door when she saw her Uncle Mark leap down the stairs feverishly trying to put his shirt back on and run out into the rain._

_The silence was suddenly broken when she heard screaming coming from the hallway. "It was one time, I know that's what people say, I know that's what always gets said. I don't even know how it happened. I don't even know what I was thinking" she heard her mother say hysterically as she followed her father down the dark stained stairs. Ava moved around the kitchen table to catch sight of the big arm full of clothes he was carrying. "He was just here". She quickly ran over to the bottom of the stairs where her mother aggressively grabbed both of her arms. "I am sorry baby, he was just here, he was just here"._

_Ava immediately knew what had happened but for some reason her mind didn't want to acknowledge it. Her mother just kept running her hands down her cheeks and down her arms apologizing but Ava couldn't say a word. _

_"You screw my best friend and all you can say was he was just here?" Derek said throwing open the front door. Ava watched as her father threw all of her mother's clothes out onto the sidewalk and into the rain._

"_Get out" Derek yelled. "Get out now". _

_"No" Addison replied._

"_Get out of my house now" he shouted. Addison walked towards him and Ava moved to the bottom of the stairs and sat on the step, unable to stand._

_Addison looked to Derek and back to Ava in total disbelief, silently pleading for a second chance. "Ava go upstairs" Derek said with a kind of force she had never heard before. _

_Addison quickly moved to the bottom of the stairs locking her arm on the banister so Ava was unable to get up. "She is not going anywhere and I am not going anywhere I am holding my ground, I'm holding my ground!" she screamed. "We don't quit, we have to work it out".Derek started to move towards her. "What are you doing?" she asked as Derek grabbed her off the stairs and dragged her towards the door._

_In a desperate attempt to stay Addison latched hold of Ava's arm and wouldn't let her go. "Don't do this; please don't let him do this Ava. I love you, I love you sweetheart please" she turned back to Derek "Please"._

_Time stood still for moment as everyone stayed silent. Merely ten minutes ago they had been a perfect family. Now Ava couldn't help but look at the faces of her parents. Her once happy father had turned angry and broken. Her beautiful smiling mother had turn terrified and teary eyed. Before another word was said Derek grabbed Addison's arm and shoved her out the front door slamming it in her face. Ava could hear her mother's sobs and pleading over the pouring rain and it broke her heart with each beat. Her own tears began to fall and she looked up to see her father's tears for the first time in her life. She felt sorry for her mother but her sadness quickly turned to anger. Derek must have caught sight of the change in her eyes because he locked the door and despite Addison's pleading he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead and apologizing profusely. "It will be okay Dad, it's not your fault" she said hugging him. Her emotions fluctuated unsparingly. Her mother's voice pierced through her ears and the image of her standing in the rain surrounded by her clothes killed her. _

_Derek let go of Ava and walked over to open the door. She walked in soaking wet and wrapped her arms around Derek. "I am sorry, I'm sorry Derek you have to give me a chance to show you how sorry I am." Addison just kept it saying over and over. Ava saw her father place his hand on her back and for a moment it provided her with the slightest bit of hope._

"_You stay, I'll get my stuff in the morning" Derek said stoically, pulling her off of him._

"_Dad, no" Ava added standing up and walking towards the two of them". _

_Addison tightly grabbed a hold of both of their hands once more. "Please you have to let me fix this please. We can survive this. We can survive this, Were the Shepherd's, were Addison and Derek" she said dropping Ava's hand and turning towards her husband._

"_Were not Addison and Derek anymore" he said regretfully. Ava looked towards Derek for a sign of what his next move was going to be. He began to shake his head and kept his eyes locked on the floor. "I can't look at you. I look at you and I feel nauseous". Ava kept her eyes locked on his as he finally made eye contact with her._

_Addison dropped his hand and held back her tears long enough to threaten him. "If you go now, if you go now we are not going to get through this, were not going to get through this Derek, please". Ava's heart fell in her chest because from the look in her father's eyes she already knew that chance was long gone. _

_When Derek turned and walked out the door Addison didn't move but Ava's mind began reeling. Without thinking she darted past her mother nearly knocking her over. The rain felt cold on her skin and she could barely see out into the street it was coming down so hard. "Dad!" she screamed down towards the street. He turned around before opening up the door and opened his arms and tightly grabbed hold of Ava. "I am sorry Dad, I am so sorry. Don't leave please, make her go, don't leave". _

_Derek looked at his daughter with sorrow in his eyes. He didn't want to leave her, in fact that's the last thing on earth that wanted to do but he couldn't stay._

"_I have to go" he said climbing into his car and slamming the door shut. The image of his daughter in the rear view mirror would haunt him forever._

_It felt like she stood in the street for hours. Eventually, soaked to the bone and shaking, she made her way inside. She pushed open the door and her mother was standing in the kitchen doorway. Addison walked over towards Ava with her arms stretched out, hair a mess and her eyes bloodshot red from all of the tears. Addison hugged her with the last of the energy she had left in her body, "I didn't mean to hurt him, I didn't mean to hurt you, I'm sorry". For a moment, just as her father had done, Ava gave in. She imagined her mother pleading for forgiveness. She imagined herself giving in, and hugging her and telling her that everything would be alright. Her heart told her to do just that but her mind told her what her mother did was completely wrong and when that happened the anger took over once more. Ava unwrapped her mother's arms from around her and walked upstairs. _

_"Ava, please" she said heavily crying once more, her chest heaving so hard for a minute Ava thought she was going to hyperventilate._

_Ava turned and looked at Addison letting her own tears fall. "I am sorry Mom, you did this not me" she said hatefully. Once in the hallway she stopped when she was out of Addison's sight. Downstairs she heard her mom fall to the floor as the echoes of her cries filled the house._


	6. Nightmares

**Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's Anatomy or any characters related to the series. I do however own Ava and totally wish I owned a shirtless Mark Sloan.**

Chapter 6: Nightmares

**A/N: Thank you so much for all of you who have previously reviewed and those who are checking back to continue reading my story. I know it has been forever since I have updated. With school and three jobs things got way crazy there for a little while but I am back and hope to update pretty quickly. You guys are totally awesome and are what inspire me to keep going. Thank you**!

_Ava stepped out of her car, not sure of where it was exactly she intended to go. All she knew was that something didn't feel right. Stepping out onto the crowded street she had to fight her way through the masses of elbows. She was able to take a breath when she managed to step into an alley way away from the crowds and the glares. Steam rose from the grates in the ground and water dripped from overhead. It didn't matter though, she was happy to just be away from everyone. Her brief moment of resolve left quickly when she heard sobs coming from behind a nearby dumpster. The cry sounded so familiar but she couldn't quite place it. Ava took a couple steps forward before she tripped over something hard. Pain shot through her face when it hit the cold concrete though it was quickly forgotten when she saw George sitting up against the brick alley way wall covered in blood and his eye nearly out of his socket. "Oh my God George" Ava screamed before crawling beside him nearly in shock from the extent of his injuries. "George what happened?" she asked in a panic._

"_I need Callie" he quickly responded through a busted lip._

"_What?" she asked._

"_I don't need you anymore Ava, I need Callie". She hid her hurt and disappointment as she pulled off her jacket and covered him up from the cold. She turned around to call for help and when she turned back George was gone. Her jacket was lying on the ground and a large metal pipe stuck out where she had tripped but George was no longer there._

"_George!" she screamed but there was no response. She touched the back of her hand to her forehead convinced suddenly aware she must have been hallucinating._

"_Meredith!" she heard someone scream from behind her. She quickly ran deeper into the alley before she came upon her father lying on the ground. "Meredith, I need your help" he said reaching up a bloody hand. Who ever had attacked George had also gotten a hold of her father._

"_Daddy" she said kneeling down next to him._

"_Meredith, I need you to help me"._

"_Dad, its not Meredith it's Ava, what happened?"._

"_Meredith I need to go get help okay, you're the most important thing in the world to me, I don't want to leave you"._

"_It's Ava Dad, I am not Meredith"_

_Ava took a step back. George didn't want her, he wanted Callie and her own father didn't want her, he wanted Meredith. She was hoping her subconscious was playing tricks on her once more. She stepped back despite her father's pleading and closed her eyes. Once she opened them, like George, her dad was gone._

_Her labored breathing nearly drowned out the intensity of her heartbeat. What the hell was going on? Finally she stabilized herself enough to walk. Suddenly her mother came racing around the corner. "Ava there you are?" I have been looking everywhere for you"._

"_Mom?" she asked._

"_Who else?" Addison replied placing the back of her hand on Ava's forehead. "Are you feeling alright? You look flushed" she asked._

_Ava closed her eyes as she felt her mother's warm hand on her cold forehead. She was real. Ava turned around to make sure her hallucinations had not returned before turning back to her mother._

"_I am fine"._

_Addison grabbed her hand. "Are you sure?"_

"_Yeah I am sure …I am fine" she said, throwing her mom a half hearted smile that appeared to appease her._

"_Well let's go finish shopping so we can go home". Ava took a breath, happy to find her mother. She was so happy to be out of that nightmare she didn't even notice the two men that stepped out from behind a large door before it was too late. She felt some one grab her from behind before a large man picked up a two by four off the ground and took a swing at Addison's chest._

_She let out a deafening scream and the crack of Addison ribs almost caused her to throw up. "Mom!" she screamed loud enough for all of Seattle to hear._

"_She has to pay Ava…she has to pay for what she has done" the older man said as he circled Addison's motionless body. _

"_Mama please get up open your eyes. OPEN YOUR EYES!" she screamed. She quickly looked over at all the people crossing the alley way but no one stopped to see what was wrong. She looked back at Addison still lying on the ground motionless. Sobs escaped her lips as she nearly fell to the ground with the strange man's arms still around her._

_Another blow to one of Addison's legs and Ava weaseled out the tall man's grip and landed on the ground next to her mother. Lying there she almost looked as if she was sleeping. She heard the two by four hit the ground and looked up and the men were gone. She ran her hand over her mother's hair and she could feel her silky locks between her fingers. This was really it was real and she couldn't make it go away. "Mom please wake up" she said quietly. "Please please Wake Up" Ava said getting louder and louder each time until eventually she was screaming at the top of her lungs. There wasn't anything she could have possibly done to deserve this. In the back of her mind she thought she heard someone calling her name but she couldn't help but continue to scream for her mom, thinking that if she screamed loud enough, she could bring her back. _

_Underneath her screams she could still hear that faint voice, "Ava! Ava"._

"Ava! Ava wake up!" she heard a loud voice say before she finally shot up of bed letting out a gasp and grabbing on to the first arm she could find.

"Ava look at me, it's Uncle Mark okay? It's just me calm down" once her heart stopped feeling like it was going to pound out of her chest she looked up and let out a sigh and let a few tears fall when she noticed she had a nightmare. "It was just a dream" he said as he placed his hand on her shoulder. She closed her eyes for a moment as she gained her composure and when opened them she noticed blood stains down her arm.

"You ripped your IV out. Let me keep pressure on it and then I will fix it". Mark said, still looking at her like she was going to break. She looked into the face of the man that had hurt her and her father so many years ago and first the first time in a long time she felt that child hood want return. Before he had slept with her mother she had worshipped the ground he walked on. While her mother and father had spent so much time at the hospital her Uncle Mark had never failed to make time for her, he was always there up until the last couple of years.

"Where is mom?" Ava asked coming out of her own thoughts.

"She ran home to change clothes but your dad is here. Do you want me to go get him?"

"No, don't. He will just freak out" she said wiping the sweat from her forehead. "I am okay, I am fine" she said frantically looking around the room. "I am fine" she said working hard to convince her uncle as well as herself.

"Come here" Mark said.

"What?"

"Come here" he said lifting her up out of bed as the nurse came in with clean sheets and a new IV line. He walked over and sat in the glider rocker that was seated in the corner. Ava didn't even have the energy to try and move so she just let him hold her and she laid her cheek on his shoulder. "When you were a little girl, your mom and dad used to bring you over to my apartment for dinner and after we ate I would pick you up and carry you over the couch and you would fall asleep on my lap just like this".

Silence filled the room until the nurse finished up and set the IV on the table for Mark to repair and a new nightgown for Ava.

"We are going to get this guy Ava". Mark ran his hand down her arm and let it rest on her back. "There are so many people that love you and want to protect you. He won't get away with this". Ava moved her head closer to his and let out a sigh hoping that what he said was the truth.

Addison leaned up against the nurses station as she watch Mark rock her daughter back and forth. She took a sip of coffee and let out a deep breath.

"What are you thinking?" a voice beside her asked, causing her to jump. "I am sorry I didn't mean to scare you" Derek said leaning on the nurses station beside her.

"Its okay" she said quietly and silence filled the room as they sat back and watched.

"What happened?" Derek asked walking towards Ava's room.

"No don't" Addison said placing her hand on his arm to stop him. "The nurse said she had a nightmare. Just let her be for a minute".

Derek pulled off is scrub cap and threw on the counter behind him. "There isn't any way to fix this you know?" Addison said, taking a sip from her coffee cup. "When she was small we could pick her up and hug her and everything would be okay. Even when we got divorced we could spend time with her and that would be enough for her to be happy for a little while but this….we can't fix this Derek"

Addison looked up at him and Derek immediately recognized that look. It was the same one he has seen in her eyes when he opened the door after kicking her out the night she slept with Mark. It was a look full of fear and absolute desperation. When the tears started to fall Derek saw a break in the façade Addison tried so hard to keep hidden.

"Don't cry Addie" he said wiping a tear away from her face. "She will get past this, I promise, she is strong. Like her mother."

Addison coughed before more tears feel and it took her by surprise when she felt Derek's arms wrap around her. It was the first time he had really touched her in a long time and it took something horrible for it to happen. The moment only lasted for a second though before she heard someone clear their throat from behind.

"Olivia. What are you doing here so late?" Derek asked quickly backing away from Addison like they had just done something wrong.

"I was really busy all day, and I am sorry I am just getting back to you but I wanted to tell you that I think I found who you were looking for".

"What?" Derek asked.

"Earlier today, you asked me about someone that had been hit by a car. I called every hospital in the area and the only man that was hit by a car during that time was brought here, he is in this hospital" she said as she handing him a chart.


	7. Uneasy Revelations

Chapter 7: Uneasy Revelations

"_Earlier today, you asked me about someone that had been hit by a car. I called every hospital in the area and the only man that was hit by a car during that time was here, he is in this hospital"._

The words echoed in Derek's mind even though Olivia had already left after handing him the file. It didn't seem possible that the one man in whole entire world he wanted to harm more than anything ended up in his hospital. It must have been a sign. He quickly slapped the file onto the counter of the nurse's station and frantically began flipping through pages.

"David Myers" he said out loud….the name sounded so familiar.

"Derek, you need to let the police take care of this" Addison said as she placed her hand on his back. She had immediately recognized the anger that swelled up behind Derek's eyes and knew he had the tendency to quickly become irrational.

Derek stared at the information and continued to quickly flip pages, scanning each and every line. "Derek look at me" Addison pleaded. "Everything is already in the hands of the police just let the hospital staff take care of this guy and we will deal with him in court".

Addison suddenly saw a change in his face, an almost disappointment. Derek gently closed the file and pushed it further back on the counter. "It's not him" Derek sighed.

"How do you know?"

"He was hit by a car a couple days ago, not today. That's not our guy," Derek said taking a deep breath and leaning back up against the counter. "Olivia must have made a mistake".

Addison sighed and looked at him for a moment. It was then that she wanted to wrap her arms around him and lay her chest against his. She wanted to feel his hand on her back and in her hair. She wanted to hear his lips, mere centimeters away from her ear, whisper and tell her that everything was going to be okay. She knew she couldn't though… not now. He was in love with Meredith and lost to her. She had missed her chance.

Derek looked over at her and smiled and she let it go. "Don't worry, like you said we will see him in court" he said re assuring her. "Let's just focus on helping Ava right now".

"I am going to grab some more coffee do you want anything?" Addison asked. Derek shook his head and watched her as she walked away. The minute she was out of sight and earshot Derek turned around and re-opened the file that sat behind him. He felt guilty but he had to lie to Addison. He had lied to protect her. She couldn't be involved in this.

The file that sat in front of him really was the man that tried to kill his daughter, admitted to Seattle Grace Hospital at 10:36 that morning. He knew it wouldn't be long before Addison and everyone else found out who it was, but Derek just needed time, a little time to figure out what his plan was. There was no way he was going to let this guy get away with what he had done. Having him sit in a jail cell for a few years wasn't going to suffice.

"David Myers" he said once more out loud. The name sounded so familiar. He had worked on someone once….what was his name? Maybe he had performed surgery on him before? It was right there on the edge of his mind. Then it all came together.

Meredith and Derek had worked hard to design and execute a neurosurgical clinical trial. It was a dark period for the both of them because they had lost so many patients including William Myers, David's only son. He remembered it clearly now and recalled how horrible he felt when he had to look in his eyes and tell him that he had lost his child. It wasn't enough guilt to make Derek believe his feelings were wrong. Just as quickly as the sorrow had entered his mind, it was replaced by anger.

Ava hadn't slept much that night. She woke up early that morning and was sitting in her room methodically counting tiles on the ceiling. She didn't want to watch TV, there wasn't a show that she could think of that would occupy her mind. She just wanted to stay busy. Keep her thoughts where they needed to be. Every time she closed her eyes she saw his face and felt the wood baseball bat hit her ribs once more. It was just easier to stay awake. Though her parent's desperately wanted to be with her life went on. This morning her father, mother and uncle all had surgeries scheduled and she almost had to physically shove them out the door. She was okay; there were other lives that needed to be saved.

Dr. Altman had come in during the evening the day before and told her that the police were here and had the guy in custody. She impatiently awaited answers, wondering why it was her he had chosen to attack.

Bad thoughts were quickly broken though when she heard a knock on her door and George walked in carrying two pudding cups in one hand.

"Hey, Hey. I come bearing gifts" he said shaking the pudding cups in her direction.

"What are you doing here so early?" Ava asked in astonishment. "It's 5:30 in the morning".

"What are you doing awake so early?" George asked pulling up a chair.

"Can't sleep" Ava said softy.

George looked at her sympathetically for a moment before he quickly attended to the pudding cups, fumbling to get the foil top off of it.

"You're acting nervous George what's going on?" Ava said pushing herself up with her good arm and adjusting herself in her bed.

"Nothing, I can't get the top off of this thing, it's like trying to open a bottle of bleach except it's not bleach its pudding and children should be able to open pudding" he said ripping the peel tab off one of the cups.

Ava grabbed the cup out of his hand and pulled the lid off with her teeth setting the cup beside her and doing the same with the other one before passing it to George.

"Problem solved George, what's going on?" Ava asked looking at him. He was her best friend, she had know him long enough to know he was hiding something from her.

George looked down and took a scoop of chocolate and shoving it into his mouth.

"It's okay, you can tell me"

"Callie and I are getting married!" George said abruptly. Ava's heart fell into her stomach.

"What?" she asked. She wanted to make sure that she heard him correctly.

"Yesterday in the elevator, I was heading home and Callie jumped on with me and she asked me to marry her".

"There in an elevator? And you said yes?" Ava asked in astonishment.

"Yeah" George said. "I love her".

"I didn't know things were getting that serious" she said setting the pudding cup on her side table. "I can't believe it. You are getting married" Ava said trying her hardest to force a smile. "Come here" she said and opened her one good arm and wrapped it around his neck.

"It feels weird to say it out loud, I am engaged" he said smiling and sitting back down. He was her best friend nothing more and yet she couldn't help the sudden urge to just stand up and scream at him for accepting. Instead though, she congratulated him and finished eating before he had to begin rounds.

"So your going to take her name right?" Ava asked. George looked at her dumbfounded. "Because you do realize that her name is going to be Callie O'Malley and if she was my doctor I just couldn't take her seriously" Ava said smiling.

"You know what Ava Shepherd if you weren't already lying in a hospital bed I believe I would have to take you down".

"Yeah okay" she said sarcastically rolling her eyes. She watched George take her puding up and toss it in a nearby trash can.

"I'll be back after rounds to check on you" he said walking up to her and kissing her on her forehead. "Love you Ava".

"Me too" Ava said lying back on her bed and letting out a deep sigh.


	8. CrissCrossed

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's Anatomy or any of the characters or settings associated with it. I do however own Ava Shepherd and I am quite fond of her.

A/N: Thank you as always to aiketi, AileenSolis, Mony19 and everyone else who has reviewed and favorite my story. I really appreciate it, your reviews are what keep me going. A lot of people have expressed their preferences towards certain relationships in the story ;) Hope I am heading where everyone wants to go. Thank you everyone!

Chapter 8: Criss-Crossed

Callie was exhausted by the time she was finally able to leave work. An emergency had pulled her out of bed in the middle of the night and dragged her straight into the OR. Through her exhaustion though, she felt a small tingling of bliss. Yesterday she had spontaneously asked her boyfriend George to marry her and to her surprise, he said yes. She had come into the inner surgical of Seattle Grace feeling like an outcast among family. George was sweet and kind, the first one to treat her like a person. She could see herself settling down with someone like him.

She headed to the locker room to change before she remembered she had to fit Ava Shepherd for a walking cast this morning. Though it wasn't customary to do cast fittings at 6:00 in the morning, Callie thought maybe if Ava was awake she could get it over with and sleep well into the afternoon before she had to be back at the hospital. Callie grabbed Ava's chart and headed around the corner to her room. She almost walked straight in but caught herself when she noticed George sitting next to her bed. He was smiling and Ava looked anxious. "George was just about to tell her the good news." Callie thought smiling. She looked down at the finger where George had promised to place a ring a smiled. Looking back up at the two of them, she saw Ava almost spit pudding out of her mouth. "What?" she heard Ava say from the other side of the door.

Callie had seen countless number of patients on a daily basis. She could obtain an emotion just from the look on someone's face. She was used to seeing people sad when she came with a diagnosis and happy when she came with a cure. The emotion she most often came across was fear. Fear of surgery, fear of needles, fear of doctors and the look on Ava Shepherd face at this very moment conveyed her fear of losing George. Despite the smile Ava tried to force Callie could tell it was fake. There were some sort of underlying feelings for there George and she could immediately tell this was going to cause a problem. A pang of jealously flowed through her when George lovingly kissed her on the forehead. Callie quickly moved around the corner to keep George from seeing her. She generally liked Ava, but she wasn't going to let her mess this up.

"How does it feel?" Callie asked, examining the boot she just sized for Ava Shepherd's cast.

"It feels fine" she replied, grateful she was able to stand up after lying in bed for two days straight.

"Do you feel pressure anywhere?"

"No, it's just heavy. I would imagine that's normal though when you have ten pounds of cement on your leg" Ava looked up at Callie and smiled.

Callie just nodded as she walked over to the table and picked up Ava's chart. Ava was thrown aback by the loss of her usually bubbly attitude but passed it off as a bad day.

"I heard you and George are getting married. Congratulations."

Callie nodded but didn't say a word.

"I'll be back to check on you later this afternoon" Callie said snatching up her chart and walking out of the room.

"" Ava said taking a step towards her. "Is everything okay? Did I upset you or something?"

Callie stopped before turning around. "Is there something going on between you and George?" she asked looking at her very seriously.

"George is my best friend" Ava added.

"Yes, I know that it's just we are getting married" she said nervously laughing. "I've never been married before. I just want things to be perfect. Izzie already hates me…"

"Izzie hates everyone… if you're not part of the fab five intern circle or a patient she is going to give you a hard time. She hated me when my mom and I moved here and gave me hell when George and I became friends. It will pass don't worry."

Callie smiled. "Your right you know I am just being silly. Things are going to be great."

"They are. There is nothing going on between George and I. He is my friend." Ava said reassuring Callie.

"Thank you Ava, I am sorry. I think it's just nerves" Callie said. "

"It's okay. You're getting married" it's to be expected. On that note Callie shot her one more smile before throwing her chart in the door and heading out.

"Things are going to be great" Ava said to herself once more, trying to reassure herself of that fact.

Derek wiped his eyes after he had just finished removing a tumor, a surgery that kept his mind occupied for the last four hours. It was hot, strenuous and he was over it. As he walked through the surgical floor he looked into the faces of some of those he worked with. Izzie Stevens smiled at him from the break room, Bailey walked past him and nodded and walked past him smiling apparently in her own little world . Some of them had to know that the guy who attacked Ava had been in the hospital and usually when one of them knew it wasn't long before the whole hospital figured it out but no one had approached him to tell him. He had managed to sneak away late last night to go see him for the first time.

_Getting in the elevator he felt nervous. He got off on the second floor and made sure the coast was clear before he made his way past the labs and down the hall. He was sure that someone was supposed to be looking out for him like a police officer or a nurse, protecting him like he was some sort of victim. Being this late at night he was hoping the coast was clear and he was right. _

_Entering the hospital room he immediately felt anger swell up in his chest. Laying in a hospital bed hooked up to machines and ventilators he looked harmless, like he could hardly hurt a small animal. Derek watched the rise and fall of his chest for a moment. He wished he would wake up so he could talk to him face to face. Derek pulled out a small flashlight to check his level of brain function but decided against it. If he touched the guy he might not let go until his heart stopped. Derek wasn't stupid, he didn't want to go to jail and lose his job or his family but he had to pay….someone had to pay. _

He quickly shook thoughts from his mind and focused back to the task at hand. He had a surgery in an hour and needed to rest. He ducked in to a nearby on call room and sat on the bed and sighed. The silence didn't last long. As he moved to lie with his eyes closed he heard the open and close of the door. He looked up to see Meredith standing in front of him.

"Hey" Meredith said sitting on the bed beside him.

"Hey" Derek said nodding towards her, though he didn't move to touch her.

"Are you alright? Christina said you seemed a little distracted in the operating room."

"I am fine" Derek said placing his hands behind his head. "Just tired and have a lot on my mind, trying to rest before my next surgery."

Meredith put her hand on his chest and patted his heart. She could see the distance, worry and exhaustion behind his eyes so she decided she better let him be.

"I am going to go to the cafeteria and grab something to eat. Do you want anything?"

"No I am fine, thanks" he said not taking his eyes off of the ceiling.

Meredith ran her hand down his arm and took one last look at him before letting him be.

Derek watched the door close behind her and let out a sigh of guilt. Derek knew she wanted to talk but he didn't not right now. He really just didn't even want to look at Meredith. When Addison had cheated on him his whole world collapsed. He had find solace in Meredith. He even told her once that she was like coming up for a breath of fresh air when he was drowning. Something had changed though, it was as if he could feel himself falling farther and farther away from her and there wasn't anything that he could do to stop it. He had lost hold of her. Though he and Addison had been distant from some time he could remember a point when they were truly happy. A time when they would take a day off of work and spend it wrapped in each other's arms.

They had done a pretty good job at working in the same hospital and avoiding each other but having Ava there, so vulnerable and hurt he and Addison had to come together for the first time in a long time. Seeing her love for their daughter, her concern for him, for them….it made him realize just how much he had missed her.


	9. Together

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone for reading and reviewing. That means more to me than you will ever know and I appreciate it so much!

Chapter 9: Together

"He is getting married?"

"Yes!" Ava said taking a sip from the water bottle sitting on the table in front of her.

"I never imagined O'Malley as the proposing type" Addison said, gently shoving a spoon fool of salad into her mouth. It was one of those rare days when she was actually able to eat lunch standing still.

"He didn't propose, she proposed to him, in the elevator! Then he said yes!"

Addison set her salad down and threw the napkin that was sitting in her lap into it. She gently pushed the table that was in between her and Ava off to the side. Standing up, she took the stethoscope from around her neck and placed it on Ava's back. Ava flinched at the cold. "Sorry sweetheart" Addison said breathing on the chest piece and placing it back on her back. She looked a little better. The dark blue bruises had lightened to a shade of purple but it was still hard to look at. "Deep breath" she said and Ava did just that, wincing a little bit from the pressure of her broken rib.

"Have you talked to him?" Addison asked trying to get Ava's mind off of the pain.

"No, he came in here and talked to me last night but I haven't seen him since then and I was too surprised to have a real response. It's not like I don't like Dr. Torres, I do and she is nice and all it just seems very rushed".

"Well you're his best friend, you should be able to talk to him about things like that. Plus you can't complain if you haven't voiced an opinion. Just think about it before you go breaking up any marriage proposals".

"Mom!" Ava said smiling.

"I'm just saying, I saw my Best Friend's Wedding, I know how complicated these situations can get". As Addison walked away Ava grabbed an ice cube and tossed it so it fell directly down her mother's Stella McCartney blouse.

"Ava Shepherd!" she yelled setting her chart down on the end of the bed and fishing the ice out of her shirt. "How old are you again 12?" she asked laughing as she walked over the side of the bed.

"Hey, I am your child" Ava said smiling. Addison tapped Ava on the nose liked she used to when she was a little girl and gently kissed her on the forehead.

"I am going to go change for surgery but I will be back to check on you as soon as I am done". Without Ava noticing Addison gingerly reached behind her and grabbed another ice cube and dropped it down Ava's shirt.

Ava flinched and immediately reached for her chest. "Mom, I am bruised that hurts!" she said frantically trying to get it off of her skin.

"Oh Ava, I am sorry" she said grabbing a towel off of her nightstand. Before Addison could help her a smile pulled at the corners of Ava's lips.

"Gotcha" she said laughing again.

"Ava" Addison said flustered. "That is not funny in the slightest".

"I am sorry Mom I really am" Ava said without any sincerity. That's the most she had seen her mom laugh in a long time.

"I love you and I am going to change" Addison said with her lips tight together in a straight line. It was a look that said I am pretending to be really mad but I can't.

She almost walked out before Ava caught her again. She wasn't sure what it was but she felt this sudden pang in her chest. It hit her with such intensity that she almost yelled after her mother. It was like that moment when your parents drop you off at your first Kindergarten class. You don't want to be there and you have to sit through that excruciating moment of watching them walk away.

"Mom!" Ava said and Addison turned around. "Come here".

"I don't want another ice cube down my shirt".

"Seriously mom" Ava said quietly.

"What's wrong?"

Addison walked towards her and Ava held out her one good arm. "I just wanted to hug you before you went into surgery".

Addison looked at her suspiciously for a moment and then once she realized that she was being serious her demeanour quickly changed. Her suspision turned to longing. Ava hadn't hugged her much since Derek left. She leaned down and Ava wrapped her arm around her fiercely. "I love you Mom, very much".

"I love you too my girl" Addison said brushing the backs of her fingers along Ava's hairline before leaving her alone.

Ava lay there for a little while before she realized that her mother was right. She should talk to George and see what was really going on before she made any assumptions about he and Callie. She reached down and grabbed a pair of shorts and a New York rangers t-shirt out of a bag near her bed. After nearly 20 minutes she managed to finally get the shorts on with one leg in a cast and one arm and got the shirt over her head. She stood up and steadied herself for a moment. The cast still felt heavy on her leg and her arm. She grabbed a crutch from behind the door and hobbled out to the nurses' station. She waited for the woman behind the desk to get off the phone before she leaned over the counter. "Can you tell me where Dr. O'Malley is?"

"Hold on one second" she said smiling as she got up and walked away. That was one benefit of being the daughter of two surgeons, the nurses were always nice.

The next few moments went by quickly. She was standing there one moment and the next moment she felt a pair of hands fall on her shoulder. Her heart started beating, her throat closed up and her first reaction was to hit the ground. She turned around too quickly though and knocked her head on the nurses station before she hit the floor. Her chest tightened and it left her gasping for air.

"Ava" her dad said quickly. "Can I get an oxygen tank over here!" he yelled to the nurses standing behind seconds someone was next him with exactally what he had asked for. "Ava what happened?" he asked placing the oxygen mask over her nose and mouth and shining a light into her eyes.

"Dad I am fine" she said trying to shove the flashlight out of her face, though she wasn't. "You just scared me that's all".

Derek looked at her for a moment. "Scared you? Terrified is more like it. You're white as a ghost" he said. At this point people started to gather around interested in what else could possible have happened to the Shepherd's injured daughter

"Come on" Derek said picking her up off the ground and carrying her into her room. He gently set her down on the bed and took the mask from the nurse behind him and returned it to Ava.

"Take a deep breath and tell me what happened" he said pulling a chair up and sitting in front of her.

"I don't know" she said reaching behind her head where she was sure she would find a big lump. "I just felt your hands come down on my shoulder…." she began to say as she reached behind her and ran her fingers over the lump on the back of her head. She knew that was going to leave a bump where she hit the counter but she didn't expect to pull her hand away and find it covered in blood.

"Oh crap" she said exasperated because the minute her father saw red he was up and behind her.

It took a moment a moment of searching and the she heard him sigh. "It looks like you split your scalp open when you hit the nurses station" he said relieved. "It's just a small cut though, let me go grab a suture kit and I'll take care of it".

She watched her Dad walk away and took a deep breath in order to get herself together. What the hell had just happened? It was her own father that came up behind her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. She couldn't understand what had caused her to freak out so quickly.

Before she could even finish that last though Derek was back, "What were you even doing up anyway? You're supposed to stay put until the bruising lightens up some."

"I know but I have been in this bed for days. I am going stir crazy."

"Okay deep breath and a little prick" he said and she could feel a small pinch as he stuck a numbing needle into the back of her head. Before he could get a stitch in Owen Hunt came bursting through her door.

" we have motorcycle accident down in the pit that needs a neuro exam ASAP".

"I am kind of busy right now" he said looking up at him and then back down at Ava.

"It's really important you go look him over. You can go ahead and I will take care of her" Owen said stepping beside Derek. He seemed hesitant to step back but eventually did. Ava didn't seem to have suffered a concussion and a motercylce accident was a big deal in comparison to a few stiches.

"Please be careful " Derek said looking at him with appraising eyes. "Ava I will be right back".

Ava nodded with the oxygen mask still pressed to her face and watched her father walk out. She turned around and saw Owen with the needle in his hand, ready to stitch her up.

"What happened?" he asked, she felt a little pressure on her scalp as he put in the first stitch.

"Well I am sure the whole hospital knows how I got here" she said.

Owen laughed. "You can't keep anything a secret in this place. One doctor knows and then an OR full or nurses know and then all the other nurses know. It's like wildfire".

"I just kind of got startled back there and hit my head. I guess I just wig too easily" she said, her voice softening. She usually wasn't scared of anything but the sudden movement of someones hands on her should just shocked the hell out of her, it was embarassing.

"Did you know I was a soldier in Iraq before I came here?" he asked, sliding in the second stitch.

"No I didn't know that" she said, being careful to stay perfectly still.

"Yeah, I saw a lot of crazy things out there. Friends getting shot, people getting blown into pieces, things I didn't even think I could see in my worst nightmares".

"That makes being attacked in an alley seems like shrimp stuff" she said smiling.

"It's just as devastating" he said, putting in one more stich before clipping the thread. "When you're attacked or see things you don't want to it's not like making good memories when you go hang out with your friends or go to a family dinner. The bad memories are the ones that stick with you for a long time and its okay to let yourself work through them. That's the only way you can get past them" he said gathering up the trash from the suture kit. "It's perfectly normal" he added looking at Ava to make sure she understood and she did. This was something she was going to have to work through with hereself before she could get any better,

"I better get back down into the pit. Watch yourself kid".

"Dr. Hunt" Ava said before he walked out the door. He turned to look at her. "Thanks" and she meant it.

"No problem" he said smiling and walking out.

Other than the emergency room, Seattle Grace was so quiet at night. The surgical floor settled down for the evening and patients went to bed despite worrying about illness or tomorrows operation. Derek finished up his final surgery of the day and passed his chart on to the only nurse sitting at the main station.

"Are you ready to go ?" he heard someone say from behind him.

"Almost " he said forcing a smile towards Merideth and quickly turning back to the nurse. "I will meet you downstairs".

"Are you alright?" she asked with a concern look.

"I am fine, just tired. Let me finish up this paper work and I will be right there." Meredith not quite satisfied with his answer, nodded her head and headed towards the elevator.

About that time he saw Addison walking down the hallway. There was no denying how beautiful Addison was and in the begginning of their marriage he took pride in the fact that she looked so well put together all of the time. The idea of it all wore off too quickly though for Derek. She would spend an hour getting ready in the morning putting makeup on and he found it exhausting to wait for her to pick out the perfect dress for the day. It was as if she was trying too hard to be perfect and Derek saw it as weakness rather than strength.

Tonight though, she was more beautiful that he had ever seen her. The short black shorts she wore fell loosely off of her thin frame. Her face was devoid of any make up, or a mask as he usually referred to it. Her hair was tied up into a bun, though pieces had fallen loose and red strands hung flowingly around her face. The grey Yale sweatshirt made her look warm and inviting and her glasses fell slightly off her nose as she glanced over the crossword puzzle in her hand while she walked.

"Addison" he said letting the words flow out of his mouth. She stopped abruptly in the hallway before almost passing him.

"Hey" she said smiling a tired smile.

'What are you doing back here? I thought you were off tonight?"

"I am" she said pulling the glasses off and placing them on top of her head. "It's just with Ava's episode earlier today I just would feel better if I spent the night here with her." Addison looked down almost nervously at her feet and then back up at Derek. "She is twenty three but still my little baby" Addison said smiling as if she was suddenly reminded of some sweet child hood memory.

"Do you want me to get you a cot or something?" he asked.

"No that's alright. I got one of the interns to set me one up earlier. We will be just fine".

A sudden pain flashed across his face because he realized that it was true. She would be just fine. She and Ava would be fine together. He was no longer a necessity in their lives anymore.

"Derek you look tired. You should go and get some sleep. You can go back to the trailer if you want where it's quiet. I know you've been staying with Meredith but surely she wouldn't mind one night. Especially if she knows I am not there" Addison said looking away when she spoke those last words. She looked back at Derek and there it was. That look….the Derek Shepherd swoony look. His eyes had gone soft and his lips slightly curled at the edges. He was looking deep into Addison's eyes as if he thought there was some sort of secret he could unlock there.

"I miss us. I miss that trailer if you can believe it" Derek said breaking the ice slightly.

_I miss you and I in that trailer together _Addison almost muttered but her mind caught herself before she did. This wasn't the place or the time.

"It's still your home" she said placing her glasses back onto her face. " You can always go back". With that Addison walked into Ava's room and shut the door.

Derek took in a deep breath. He wasn't sure what she meant by that. His heart secretly wished that it was an open invitation from him to come back whenever he wished though his mind warned him that it was merely a wrong choice of words. That she was merely trying to make him feel comfortable going to spend the night there. In any case, he was more than happy to catch some rest there that evening. He only wished he could share the evening with his two favorite girls. For now, he would have to come up with a reason as to why he wasn't going home with Merideth.


End file.
